Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane has been accused of diving against Arsenal.
Ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has told the Daily Mail that he doesn’t think that a late foul on Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane on Sunday was a penalty.
Spurs made the short trip to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, taking on bitter rivals Arsenal in the first North London derby of the season.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side were 2-0 up thanks to Christian Eriksen and Kane, but were pegged back through Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
A breathless second half almost had a dramatic end, as Kane tumbled under a challenge from Sokratis Papastathopoulous.
Martin Atkinson waved away the appeals for a penalty but didn’t book Kane, refusing to give Spurs a second spot kick of the game having given one for a first-half challenge on Son Heung-min.
Kane was baffled, feeling that Papastathopoulos had pushed him in the back when heading towards the goal, but it seemed that Kane manipulated his body towards the Arsenal defender to initiate contact.
The decision has split opinion over the last 24 hours, and ex-Premier League referee Clattenburg has offered his verdict on the incident.
Clattenburg feels that the decision was correct as Kane was looking for the contact, adding that Kane not being booked was also correct because there was contact, just not enough for a penalty to be awarded.
“Martin Atkinson controlled a thrilling north London derby with great experience and it was an excellent decision not to award Spurs a penalty when Harry Kane went down late on,” said Clattenburg. “Kane used his body and leg to initiate the contact with Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos and it was not a penalty.”
“VAR would have checked the incident but Atkinson’s on-field decision was correct. Should Kane be booked for simulation? I would say not as there is contact,” he added.
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